If it is a joke, someone has a sick sense of humour. Why would I pay $10.00 because I am NOT using my Mastercard? That is the silliest thing I have ever heard. I'm sure you will agree.

Seems to me that BMO made 1.2 billion dollars last year. Don't you think that's enough money? Is it really necessary to squeeze $10.00 out of every consumer who isn't using their credit card?

Well I've made a tough decision. It took me about, oh, 1.2 seconds. I actually called your office but I was going to have to wait 5 to 10 minutes to speak to someone. Waiting on hold just seemed so, you know, unfriendly.

In any event, I can take a hint. BMO doesn't really care about my business. So you can go ahead and cancel my card. I won't be needing it anymore.

Sunday, June 5, 2016

We love it here in County Clare Ireland. The people are lovely, the scenery is brilliant, food is grand, and the Smithwicks is the best. We have also visited Ennis, Ennistymon, Corofin and Galway, always taking the local bus.

Every morning we also walk along the promenade in Lahinch, then down along the gravel pathway that runs between the ocean and the golf course. It is a beautiful walk and we greatly enjoy it.

The problem is that we frequently see dog droppings along the path. We have also noticed that there are hefty fines for those droppings, as there are signs all along the way. We also noticed that there are even stations where dog owners can get convenient bags to allow them to easily scoop and poop, so there is no excuse not to pick up after one's dog.

In Canada we also have this problem, as I am sure many other locales do as well. But one morning on our walk we witnessed two young women who were walking a total of six dogs. They were ahead of us on the path. Three of their dogs defecated--all at the same time. We watched in disgust as the owners studiously turned away and continued on their way. Truly it was awful to see this. There is even a sign posted about the danger of dog feces (Toxocariasis) to children. Yet these two young women presumably didn't care a whit.

On our return from our walk, we saw another woman who was cleaning up garbage from the side of the road. She said that she chose to do this, and we thought wow, good on you. So we know that it isn't all the people of Lahinch who ignore good outside manners and care for their village.

Some local enforcement of dog droppings would go a long in keeping Lahinch beautiful and safe from ignorant owners. After all, what good are hefty fines if there is no enforcement?